Where to display? How Interface Position Affects Comfort and Task Switching Time on Glanceable Interfaces

A critical decision when designing glanceable information displays is where to place the content. Since blocking the center of the field of view with virtual information is not desirable, designers often opt for placement in the visual periphery. Another option is to only show virtual content when needed. However, no study has been made to systematically evaluate world-locked content position, considering both cognitive and physiological constraints. With this goal in mind, we designed a scenario that mimics context switching between a real world-task and an information display. We then conducted a within-subjects study to evaluate the effect of position, parameterized by horizontal angle, vertical angle, and distance from the user. Our results show that context switching time increases as the information is displayed far from the task position. The same happens with discomfort: content placed at eye level, or below, was faster and more comfortable than in other positions. We also found participants preferred content at medium distances, although they were also faster with content at far distances.